COYER - Beach Party Read-a-thon - July 18 - 24

The Beach Party is the 2nd read-a-thon for this COYER, where we're going to read books that take place on/near a beach or involve vacation. - See more at: Beach Party Read-a-thon.
 
Goals:  


Progress:

July 18: 11% DTAH
July 19: 89% DTAH
July 20: none
July 21: 7% VV
July 22:
July 23:
July 24:

 Finished:

The Hunted Bundle by Amanda Shofner - Giveaway Winners!

The Hunted Series by Amanda Shofner

And the winners are...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to all of you! I will get the bundles sent out to the e-mails you provided me this week! Thanks so much for entering and I hope you enjoy the Hunted series as much as I did!

7/15/15 Update: I have just sent out your prizes, so please let me know if they do not show up!  Enjoy!

A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons (How to Train Your Dragon, #6) by Cressida Cowell

A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hiccup once again finds himself in trouble, this time on his birthday. Instead of celebrating, he's trying to break into the Meathead Public Library, which isn't open to the public, inhabited by the Hairy Scary Librarian, who really is scary, to steal a book for a burglary competition.

These stories are adorable and hilarious, but if you're finding them based on having watched the movies, be prepared that Toothless is NOTHING like he is on screen. With that huge difference in mind (because I was absolutely in love with movie Toothless and was initially disappointed to find out how different he was in the books) settle yourself in for a treat! These are so much fun, you can't help but smile while reading them. If you're listening, David Tennant does a phenomenal job of bringing Hiccup and the Vikings to life, and in that respect, it's every bit as fun as the movie was.

I know I will listen to these over and over whenever I need a pick me up, they're so darn cute!

View all my reviews

#6 COYER Scavenger Hunt - Book with a Cartoonish Cover

Ian Fleming's James Bond - Octopussy and the Living Daylights: And Other Stories (Bond #14)

Octopussy and the Living Daylights: And Other Stories by Ian Fleming
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a casual James Bond fan. I'll always stop and watch a few minutes if I see one of the movies on. I came in during the Roger Moore era, so he is who I always picture first when Bond is mentioned, though I have seen some of the Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig movies, though none of the earlier ones than Connery. I like them all, it helps make Bond, 007 more of an idea than any one person.

This was the first time I had listened/read one of the actual Ian Fleming novels depicting Bond and he was very different from the dashing ladies man and spy I grew up with from the movies. There was no being trapped in underground lairs or jumping out of airplanes, and in fact Octopussy contained very little of Bond at all. It was more the story of a retired WWII Major whose past catches up with him. Bond is still the cool character we expect, but at times we gain more insight into his psyche and see that he is actually quite bothered by being a 00, licensed to kill, which makes him more real to me.

Hiddleston's narration was wonderful. He is expressive and enjoyable to listen to, and gives a short interview after his readings about his own Bond experience and his enjoyment of portraying different characters through their voices. Lucy Fleming, one of Ian's nieces, reads the 4th story of the collection, 007 in New York, which of the 4 was the most characteristic of my previous Bond experience, though it's a simple check in through customs, all the while we are with Bond's thoughts on the city and how things have changed over time, with the detailed observation of a trained spy on the people around him. It was nice to hear Lucy, an actual family member talk about her uncle and Bond with that reading.

Far from being disappointed with the tameness of the stories compared to the flashy and exciting movies I'm used to, I'm more intrigued to go back and watch those movies to look for the bits of the story that must be there, and to read the other novels and do the same with them. James Bond is such an icon and the embodiment of the cool, collected spy in our imaginations, few characters endure the test of time the way he has.

View all my reviews

#44 COYER Scavenger Hunt - Read a book that has been turned into a movie.  This one has technically had 2 movies in fact!  not bad for less than 100 pages, huh?

And for us Hiddles fans, here is the alternate cover to what I listened to:

COYER - Red, White, & Blue Read-a-thon - July 4 - 10, 2015

The Red, White, & Blue Read-a-thon is the first of 5 that are happening during COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader) this Summer. We'll be reading books with Red, White, or Blue on the cover, as words or colors. For more details, check out the Red, White, & Blue Read-a-thon page!  I've picked out some suitably Red, White, & Blue titles/covers below that I'll be working on.

Goals:

Progress:

July 4: 34:37min SFoB, 54 pages TPW
July 5: 78 pages TPW
July 6: 116 pages TPW
July 7: 28 pages TPW
July 8: 51 pages TPW, 1 hour 30 min SFoB
July 9: 1 hour 16 min SFoB
July 10: 30 min SFoB

 Finished:

 

Giveaway: The Hunted Series by Amanda Shofner

The Hunted Series by Amanda Shofner

The Hunted is a riveting world in which two opposing factions of Gifted, the Memory-bringers and the Illusionists, must overcome their fear of each other and work together against their common enemy: The Northern Alliance Betterment Society. Doesn't that name just bring chills? Betterment Society? So many real world horrors have been perpetrated in order to "better" things according to skewed versions of perfection. True to form, The Society will stop at nothing until they realize their goal, the neutralization of all Gifted. Of course just killing a Gifted isn't enough, the Society must experiment in order to find a way to truly eliminate the biological elements that make someone Gifted.

I am drawn in to a book by the characters.  You can have the most interesting setting ever, but if I'm not invested in the characters, I couldn't care less.  Fully realized characters are one of the strengths of this series, I cared about what happened to all of them. I hurt with them, was afraid with them, was happy for them, and sometimes wanted to slap some of them (Janey) for being so stubborn and impatient, but that's who she was.  For me that's what makes a story I won't forget, characters who are true individuals, with realistic emotions, strengths and weaknesses.  Add to that a bit of Sci/Fi-Fantasy, a little romance, and I'm in!  You get all that here.

Synopsis from Amazon

The Northern Alliance Betterment Society rose up to declare war on the Gifted and erase them from existence. The deep division between the Gifted—the illusionists and memory-bringers—made the war successful. Now the Gifted are being hunted and eliminated, but there remain a few who choose to fight back and reclaim their lives.

ELUSIVE MEMORIES

One false move—or trusting the wrong person—can turn the Gifted into the hunted.

Sam Benson doesn’t know where she is or, more importantly, who she is. With her memories gone, she must piece together the details of her life—and figure out who to trust—before they take it from her.

THE UNEXPECTED GIFT

When Michael gave up his Gift, he was told it'd be forever. In the middle of recruiting for the new Gifted army, his Gift comes back. Unexpectedly.

But rather than celebrating the impossible, Michael’s carefully laid plans are about to come to naught... unless he can find a way to survive and make it right.

HIDDEN ILLUSIONS

Janey Jones is driven by one purpose. Will Brown has seen what blind ambition can do.

When Will and Janey are thrown together, they’re forced to put aside their differences for a greater purpose: find a way to stay alive—and salvage the mission to cut the Hunters down, once and for all.

A VEILED TRUTH

She’s about to learn life isn’t like her controlled experiments.

Edie Brown's well-ordered scientist’s life unravels when her best friend Marcus proposes a different kind of experiment—one that puts her heart at risk.

Giveaway
 

The Hunted series will be available as a bundle starting July 1st!  I'll be giving away 2 US Kindle bundles, and as many single US Kindle parts of the series as I'm in the mood for! Just tell me in your entry whether you want the bundle, or a single part of the series, and also the e-mail address you want it sent to if you win.  This contest will be open through Sunday July 12th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

COYER Scavenger Hunt June 20 - September 4, 2015

The COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader) Scavenger hunt is under way! I am joining in the challenge a little late, but there is plenty of time left! This event run from June 20th - Sept 4th and sounds like a whole lot of fun! There 5 summer read-a-thons scheduled, along with a reading scavenger hunt, twitter parties, a facebook group and prizes to win, so come on and join the fun!

For this event we can use any book we obtained legally. That would be Kindle Freebies, ARCs, Netgalley & Edelwiess books, Audiobooks, Purchased books (any $ amount) and Physical Books. Because of the Scavenger Hunt you are not allowed to read Library books, Kindle Unlimited or Borrowed books. (This is for my own use, but also helpful if you're wondering what to use, I asked just to be sure!)

Details, Signup, and Schedule

Scavenger Hunt List

Currently Reading: 





Reviews I've visited:

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge - reviewed by Book Briefs
Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne - reviewed by Book Haven 
Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy - reviewed by Squiggles Reviews
Sword Art Online #2: Aincrad by Reki Kawahara - reviewed by Fiction State of Mind
A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter - reviewed by Trips Down Imagination Road
Horde (Razorland #3) by Ann Aguirre - reviewed by Kristen @ The Book Monsters

Books Finished:

Finished 6/30/15 Review SH #7 66 pages	Finished 7/1/15 Review SH #44 Audio/93 pages	Finished 7/3/15 Review SH #6 Audio/233 pages
Finished 7/8/15 RWB Review  SH #1 327 pages	Finished 7/13/15 Review SH #29 216 pages (started at 84)	Finished 7/14/15 Review SH #2 6 hrs 7 min
Finished 7/19/15 BP Review SH #37 95 Pages	Finished 7/24/15 Review to Come SH# 78 12:32/363 pages	Finished 7/31/15 Review SH #39 410 pages
Finished 8/6/15 Review SH #N/A 371 pages	Finished 8/13/14 Review to come SH #21 11:58/522 pages	Finished 8/16/15 Review SH #58 94 pages
Finished 8/18/15 Review SH #38 300 pages	Finished 8/21/15 Review SH #23 8:20/155 pages	Finished 8/23/15 Review SH #5 346 pages
Finished 9/2/15 Review SH #55 204 pages

The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy by Nora Roberts

The Next Always The historic hotel in Boonsboro has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it’s getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. Beckett is the architect of the family, and his social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there’s another project he’s got his eye on: the girl he’s been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen. After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town’s bookstore. Busy, with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett’s transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look . . . at the building and the man behind it. With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett’s happy to give Clare a private tour - one room at a time. It’s no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something new - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next . . .

I adore this trilogy. I will admit that I didn't think I'd be a Nora Roberts fan. I picked up The Next Always when it was on sale on Audible because it mentioned a haunting. I didn't expect to fall in love, with the people or the place, but I did. I want the Montgomery boys to be my brothers, and Avery, Clare and Hope to be my friends. I want to hang out and have pizza at Vesta and celebrate holidays with the whole family. I want a hug from Willy B and to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth. These were pure comfort reading for me once I got into them, and will go down in my list of favorites. The description of the places and the characterization of the people make it all seem so real that it makes me want to jump in my truck and go there, to be part of it all, to get enveloped in that world. I can smell Avery's marinara sauce and hear the brothers hammering away on their latest project. I didn't expect to get sucked in, it's not my usual thing, but I did, and I'm so grateful for it. :)

Bout of Books 13 - May 11 - 17

I am so excited that it's Bout of Books time again! Since I've taken the pressure off of myself to read certain numbers or types of books, I've really enjoyed my reading a lot more this year. I had a fantastic day on Dewey's Read-a-thon a few weeks ago and I'm hoping that momentum carries over here!

I'm giving myself a goal of 1,000 pages, so no pressure to finish anything, just read what I'm in the mood for!

If you're not familiar with Bout of Books, here's a little explanation:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

   

Page Goal: 855/1000

Currently Reading:



Finished:

Time for some Napping!

I finished my second full length book, and hit 541 pages! 2nd level achieved!

I discovered Nancy Springer in junior high when I read The Silver Sun by her, so I always know I'm in for a good story, whatever she tackles.  I love Arthurian tales, and this was no exception, poignant and sad however, told from Mordred's point of view, and no matter how hard he tries to do the right thing, his fate seems sealed.  It's making me want to go watch Excalibur again,  even though I really recall not liking Mordred in the movie.  There was some rearrangement of the tale here, but there are always differences in every retelling.

And the cover goes really nicely with my blog color scheme, I just noticed!

I'm headed to bed for now with my next read, Ashes and Alchemy by Cindy Spencer Pape.  It's part of a steampunk series I've been enjoying.  I may try to get up before the end of the read-a-thon to be there for the finish.  If I don't make it up, I'll wrap up later, and another round of thanks to all the cheerleaders and organizers!  You all make this the wonderful event it has become!


Finished:
A Big Hand for the Doctor - Eoin Colfer - 46 pages
Something From the Nightside - Simon R. Green - 230 pages
The Nameless City - Michael Scott - 81 pages
I Am Mordred - Nancy Springer - 184 pages

Total Pages: 541

ETA: Fergus was nice enough to wake me up half an hour before the Read-a-thon was over, so I got a few more pages in before the end, after I fed the furballs of course! 

Partial:
Ashes and Alchemy - Cindy Spencer Pape - 30 pages

Updated Total Pages: 571

A Wee (large) Break at the 2/3rd's Mark

We're at the 2/3rd hour, 10 PM for me, and I've taken a really long break! Errands, dinner, some gaming, a few pages over that time, but not much.  I'm still working at it though, not ready to throw in the towel just yet!  I will definitely finish this one, and I'm hoping maybe another short one before calling it a night, we'll see.

I'm currently still working on I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer and enjoying it. If you can be said to enjoy the story of Mordred. This is told from his point of view, that really was not evil and was a tool of fate. Similar to how Marion Zimmer Bradley tells the Arthur story from Morgan Le Fay's point of view, where the typically evil character is the main character and lines between good and evil aren't so boldly scored.

In Process:
I Am Mordred - Nancy Springer - 105 pages so far 

Finished:
A Big Hand for the Doctor - Eoin Colfer - 46 pages
Something From the Nightside - Simon R. Green - 230 pages
The Nameless City - Michael Scott - 81 Pages


Total Pages: 462 (I'm almost to 500!)

A Little Smackeral and Goal #1 Achieved!

I've made my first goal of 350 total pages with the little Doctor Who #2 book in the picture, "The Nameless City."  That one was cute, never underestimate the fearsomeness of bagpipes!  Also it was time for a snack, coffee #2 Coconut Mocha, and a big ol' sugar cookie!

Finished:
A Big Hand for the Doctor - Eoin Colfer - 46 pages
Something From the Nightside - Simon R. Green - 230 pages
The Nameless City - Michael Scott - 81 Pages

Total Pages: 357

Next Stop, 500!

Eighth Hour

We're about 1/3 of the way through the day and I've finished Something from the Nightside! Go me! It was a fun and pretty quick read, I think Jim Butcher's blurb on the cover describes it perfectly: "A fast, fun little roller coaster of a story..."  It kept me interested and I'll keep going on the series.

I'm actually pretty proud of keeping focus and pretty much staying off the social media except to do updates and cheer on some fellow read-a-thoners. I have a feeling that will get harder as the day goes on.

Finished:
A Big Hand for the Doctor - Eoin Colfer - 46 pages
Something From the Nightside - Simon R. Green - 230 pages

Total Pages: 276

I'm not quite at my first level goal, which is 350 pages.  Next up is"The Nameless City" another quick Doctor Who adventure by Michael Scott, and I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer.  These two should get me to my second level goal of 500 no problem!

This is usually a hard time of day for me in the sleepy department, 3 pm is nap time!  Hopefully I can hold out!

Awake and Ready to 'Thon!

I've had a tasty breakfast burrito, and some coffee and I'm ready to get to it!

I knocked out a quick short story, "A Big Hand for the Doctor" by Eoin Colfer that is part of a 12 story collection, one for each doctor. This was for #1. I got the box set because each story has a cover showing that Doctor's signature outfit and I just thought they were cute, so there's #1's outfit to the left!  Here is the link on Amazon if you are so inclined.

I'm ready to dive into something a little longer, so I'm giving Something From the Nightside by Simon R. Green a try.

Finished:
A Big Hand for the Doctor - Eoin Colfer - 46 pages


Opening Meme:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?  Kansas, USA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?  All of them really, I tried to pick books to fit my mood, rather than just for length this time.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?  I have some Ben and Jerry's ice cream all ready for later!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!  I'm an introverted Inventory Analyst who very nearly because an Archeologist instead!  Okay, not that nearly, but I've always love Archeaology, and studied it in college before my better sense too over and I chose something that probably suited me better.  I do still love reading about it though!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?  I've lost count of how many of these Read-a-thon's I've done, but so far my nemesis seems to be getting too comfortable, so I've got a secret weapon this time.  If I start to get sleepy, I may try sitting on my stability ball, it forces your body to be actively keeping balance, and you have to be awake to do that!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon Kick Off - April 2015

Goooooood Mooooooorning Read-a-thoners!  We've made it!  The wait is over and the time to start reading is NOW!  I got a little bit of a late start, but I'm here now and ready to go!

I'm going to get some raspberry truffle coffee and some breakfast and dig into my first Doctor Who story "A Big Hand for the Doctor" by Eoin Colfer.

I'll see you all in a little while!